Fairy Tail: The Malevolent Seven
by shadowsdad841
Summary: The Malevolent Seven, the seven lost books of Zeref. Can the disbanded Fairy Tail guild hope to regroup and defeat such powerful foes? Foes that are so strong, Zeref himself sealed them away for their terrifying power. It's an epic battle that will decide the fate of not just Fiore, but all realms of existence. Set in a slightly alternate timeline, a month after the Tartaros saga.
1. Prologue: Infernum Mountain

**Prologue: Infernum Mountain**

 **-** **Crime Sorcière** **-** **-**

A month had passed since Fairy Tail had defeated the demons of Tartaros, and disbanded. This lead to a time of peace and quiet…if only temporary. The Fairy Tail family had gone their separate ways, but fate would bring them together again. It all started one hot day in Gazania town, the only civilization near Infernum Mountain just beyond the Fiore Kingdom. The independent guild, Crime Sorcière, had recently arrived. They were staying in a small inn, to avoid any unwanted attention. They were directed to come here, to scale Infernum Mountain…something that most of the members were not very keen on doing.

"Why are we doing this again?" asked Sawyer, otherwise known as Racer. "I mean, that place is super creepy."

The guild was having a meeting in their Jellal's room, discussing the plan to scale the mountain.

Macbeth, or Midnight, was in the corner, away from the others. He was fawning his hair nervously. "Indeed, this is a foolish idea. There are rumors about that place, rumors that kept even the bravest of mages away from it. We of the Oración Seis never came near this town, let alone the mountain," he looked at Meredy. "What about Grimoire Heart?"

Meredy shook her head dramatically. "No, no, no, but Master Hades..." she paused and placed her finger over her mouth. "I mean…Hades…or Precht, or whatever, told us all to avoid that place like the plague."

Erik, who was known as Cobra, laughed nervously. "It's said that even the demons of Tartaros gave that place a wide berth."

"And why, exactly, is that?" asked Jellal, who was legitimately interested. His eyes were filled with conviction. "My source tells me that—"

"And what source would that be?" asked Sorano, formally known as the Seis's Angel, with a sly smile.

Jellal's face turned red.

Sorano giggled. "My, my. We do hours of recon and careful research with every other lead, but when a certain red-haired fairy says something, he takes her word as Gospel."

Richard, known back then as Hoteye, petted his mustache. "Ho, ho, ho. He's smitten by love's beautiful arrow. His beloved Erza has spoken, and he must heed her sweet call, oh yeah."

Jellal glared at him. "It isn't like that, and you know it!"

Meredy smirked. "I _could_ perform a sensory link, and that would tell us."

The whole room, save Jellal and Macbeth started to laugh.

Jellal stomped his foot. "Enough!"

Everyone went quiet.

"This is a serious matter. We're here for one purpose: to see if there really is dark magic up there related to Zeref. It seems quite plausible, seeing as not even the previous Baram Alliance would set foot up there."

Macbeth stepped out of the shadows. "It wasn't just the members of the Baram Alliance that wouldn't go near there…it's said that even Zeref himself would avoid that mountain, save for only once or twice. Some have even speculated that not even Acnologia wouldn't dare fly up there, lest he meet some dire fate."

"Which is exactly why it's suspicious," Jellal said. He combed his fingers through his blue hair. "And I'm going up there, you can all stay behind, if you wish."

Everyone in the room shook their heads.

"I will follow you wherever you go, oh yeah!" Richard said.

Sorano sighed. "I'll tag along, too. Honestly, you men need a feminine touch to even out all of this testosterone, right Meredy?"

She nodded. "Yep, I'm going too."

Sawyer smiled, but he was shaking a little. "I'll go, too…but can we hurry with it? I don't want be up there longer than I have to."

Macbeth frowned. "I suppose I'll go. I mean, it would be interesting to see if the rumors are true. But how did Titania receive such information?"

"I truly don't know," Jellal said. He thought back to two days prior.

Jellal had been doing some recon three towns over. He had heard tell of some strange goings-on there, and went to check it out. That's when he saw Erza. He tried to avoid her when he noticed her, but it didn't seem to work out very well.

"Jellal," she said, quietly.

He shushed her, and the two of them went into an alleyway.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

She smiled at him. However, it wasn't her usual, captivating smile that melted Jellal's heart. It was a desperate sort of smile…an unfamiliar smile. "I came looking for you," she said.

"What for?" he asked.

"I've heard some rumors about a certain mountain not too far from here. The rumors have to do with Zeref."

"What do these rumors say?" he asked.

"That he hid something away up there, something powerful…will you and your guild go up there and look into it for me? I would do it myself, but Gray and I have some business to take care of."

"G-Gray, the ice wizard?"

She nodded. "Yes, why do you sound so surprised?"

"I-I'm not…I'll look into it for you, Erza."

"Thank you, Jellal. I knew I could count on you."

He went to touch her shoulder, but she recoiled. "I must get going. It was good to see you again," she said.

Suddenly, Jellal's ears started ringing. He grasped his ears and looked away for a moment, when he looked back to continue speaking to Erza, she was gone.

"Whoever told her, she didn't reveal to me," Jellal said, looking at Macbeth.

"Well," Macbeth said. "I truly hope we find nothing up there."

" _Part of me does, too, Midnight,"_ Jellal thought. _"I have an uneasy feeling about this."_

Early the next morning, the guild of guilt-stricken mages departed to climb the dark cliffs of Infernum Mountain.

"Oh, I do wish there were an easier path," said Sorano. "These shoes were not made for climbing."

"We'll be up there in no time," said Jellal.

"Besides, it's your own dumb fault for bringing those torture devices you call shoes to climb a mountain!" Erik said, perturbed at her complaining.

She gasped and put her hand on her chest. "These shoes make me look more elegant than usual. In fact, they make me look like an—"

"If you say angel…I'm going to have to hurt you."

"Hmph," she grunted. "It would do you some good to care about what you look like once and a while, Cobra. I mean, your hair always looks like you got into a fight with a lightning wizard."

"Enough," Macbeth said. "We need to keep our wits about us up here, remember?"

Erik and Sorano looked away from each other.

" _Finally,"_ Jellal thought. " _A little peace and quiet."_

They trekked the rest of the way up the mountain in silence. They got more and more anxious the higher up they got. When they reached the top, they came upon what looked like a temple carved into the jagged rocks of the mountain's peak. A thin, but heavy presence of dark magic was coming from the temple.

Meredy shivered. "D-do you feel that?"

Jellal glared at the temple. "Yes, it's definitely evil…and it certainly brings Zeref's dark works to mind."

Macbeth looked a little frightened, but also a little intrigued. "But it feels…different from his demons, but only slightly."

"As well as feeling more powerful," Sawyer said.

"Nothing can beat us, if our convictions are righteous and strong enough, oh yeah!" Richard said triumphantly.

"You're going to make me vomit," Sorano said.

"Let's go," said Jellal.

He walked toward the temple, unwavered by its ominous and powerful aura of darkness that seemed to increase with every step.

The rest of them looked at each other, and reluctantly followed.

" _There's definitely something in there; something dark and powerful. I've never sensed anything quite like it,"_ Jellal thought. He stopped right at the temple's entrance and peered into the darkness inside. _"What's waiting for us within?"_

He turned around and looked at his comrades. "If anyone wishes to stay out here, do so. I will not hold it against you."

"Nah," Sawyer said. "We came all the way up here. May as well finish the job."

"How can I call myself the master of nightmares if I just stood out here like a coward?" Macbeth said.

"You have my undying allegiance, Jellal," said Richard.

"I'm goin' in, too," said Erik.

Sorano smiled. "I have no fear of the dark."

Meredy gulped. _"I wish you were here with me…Ultear,"_ she thought.

"Thank you, my friends," Jellal said, smiling a little.

They entered into the darkness, unsure of what they were walking into.

As soon as they stepped into the temple's chamber, the room lit up with a vile, purple light. There were seven objects floating in midair in the midst of the chamber. Three on the right side, three on the left, and one in the middle.

Jellal looked surprised. "Those are—"

"Books," Macbeth finished. "Books of Zeref, so it seems. But these ones look…off."

Each tome was a different color, and each had an image of a different beast inscribed on their covers. The book on the far left was red, and had the image of a pig. The next book was blue, and had an image of a sloth on it. The next one was golden yellow, and had the image of a frog. The one in the center was white, and had an image of a beautiful black bird with four large wings and a long, wavy tail. The next one was green, and had the image of a snake on it. The next one was black, and had a white dragon on its cover. The last was purple, and had a fish on its cover, adorned with fins and a tail that glistened like diamonds.

"I've never heard of books such as these…not even in Zeref's own archives!" Jellal said.

"These books, why are they here? Why would Zeref seal these away all the way up here?" Meredy said, her voice cracked with fear.

"I don't know, but we must destroy them," he said. He took a stance to perform a spell.

Suddenly, the ground shook. The floor turned black as pitch, and something shined above the books.

Jellal's concentration was broken. He looked up with surprise and shock. "What's this?" He said. "A spell circle?"

A dark-purple spell circle descended upon the books, encapsulating them. Each book began to glow.

"Wh-what is this magic?" Jellal yelled.

Erik began to cover his ears. His eyes were full of fear. He fell on his knees and started to wail. "This…this noise! The books are shrieking! I can't stand their screams!"

A spell circle appeared under each member of Crime Sorcière, and zapped them with incredible force. Pain and agony surged through each of them, and within seconds they were on the ground, all but Jellal was unconscious.

Jellal got up. "What is the meaning of this?" He looked ahead, and an icy chill ran down his spine.

Seven figures stood where the tomes had just been. The power they were emitting frightened even him.

The figure who stood where the purple tome was, on the far right, stepped forward. Jellal saw that it was a woman, but she was still covered with darkness.

"Who, urk!" He grabbed his chest and winced in pain. "Who are you?"

She stepped out into the light, and Jellal couldn't believe what he saw.

"Erza?" he cried. "But…how…why?" He clenched his chest again, and tried not to collapse.

It _was_ Erza. She was wearing a revealing purple robe. His aching heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.

She knelt down and gently touched his chin. She looked at him with a friendly smile. But…there was something wrong with her eyes. Her usually warm and lovely eyes looked void of any soul. "You saved me, Jellal." She went to kiss him.

He pushed her away from him. "Y-you're _not_ Erza!" he said.

She giggled. "Well of course I am…at least, that's how you see me. That's who you—" she gagged. "Love with all of your feeble little heart. But it's not love that allowed me to take this form, dear boy."

Jellal looked at her in silence.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," she waggled her finger at him. "You naughty boy…you don't just love her, but you also lust after her."

"Who…are you?" he asked again.

She snapped her finger, and her guise vanished, revealing her true form. She was a tall, slender and busty woman. Her face was covered by a veil, revealing only her soulless, purple eyes. "My, my, my," she said in a seducing soft and soothing voice. "I must say, tricking you was way too easy…Jellal."

"You…you deceived me…" he said, ashamed.

She started to float, and she lied down in the air, seductively. "Yes, I did. Apparently it's a nasty habit of yours. Something that worked to our advantage. "You see, we needed seven particular individuals to set us free. We needed seven wizards who were touched by darkness, and yet strive for the light. Your little group of emotionally-challenged mages were perfect. All it took was a little thought projection of your beloved Erza, and poof, you were here in a heartbeat."

"I'll…I'll kill you!"

She appeared before him in the blink of an eye. She was still laying down in the air, but she was upside down, floating right above him. She grabbed his head and forced him to look at her. "That would be a fun trick, truly it would. You're gonna be a fun plaything…it's been quite a while since I've had one as handsome as you. Oh, the screaming you'll make."

"That's enough, Nataliah—" said one of the figures in a booming voice. It was the one in the center, where the white book had been. "We have work to do. And you can't go killing him, or the others that came with him…not yet."

She sighed. "Sorry, Jahlly-bean. Looks like play time's going to have to wait." She vanished in a purple flash, then appeared next to the other six figures.

"The time is soon upon us," said the man in the middle. "Soon, we will shake the realm above, and the earth beneath. This land will soon be a haven of darkness, and everyone will be under our control. The time of the Virtues is soon to be over."

" _Time of the…Virtues?"_ Jellal thought.

The seven dark figures vanished in a multicolor flash of light. Jellal collapsed. _"Was I really…fooled again? Will I ever come out of the dark? Will I ever be able to look you in the face and feel worthy enough, Erza? What have I done? What kind of evil did I just set free?"_


	2. Chapter 1: Erza

**Part 1: The Regathering of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 1: Erza**

"It's so beautiful here," Erza said to herself as she laid in the field of round, golden wildflowers that glowed like tiny little suns. "This is the famous field of emotion…the flowers change colors based on how you're feeling. I'm feeling pretty peaceful and relaxed now."

Erza had just finished a five-day long training regimen that she appointed for herself. She had trained nonstop, all to forget about Fairy Tail's division and disbandment. She had been lonely for a little while, although she never admitted it. Despite her loneliness, she knew that, even though her comrades of the former guild were off doing their own thing… the bond they shared was eternal. This was how she could be at peace, laying in the field of emotion.

" _I have to keep strong…keep strong for that day that we all face off against Zeref, that fell dragon and E.N.D. I know the day will come, sooner or later."_

A warm breeze blew in the field, and Erza sensed a nostalgic presence. She sat up and looked ahead of her. About thirty feet away, a hooded figure stood, looking at her with a melancholic gaze. The flowers around him were in the shape of thunderclouds, and were as gray as a stormy afternoon.

"Jellal?" she said under her breath. She stood up.

The man removed his hood. It _was_ Jellal.

Suddenly, all of the flowers around them turned a vibrant, radiant red, and took the shape of little hearts.

Both Erza and Jellal blushed at this sight, but neither of them said anything. He walked toward her. The very sight of her made him smile, if only slightly.

"Hello, Erza," he said.

"H-hi, Jellal," she said.

He placed both hands on her face and looked at her with a hot intensity. This made her face turn even redder than the flowers below them.

She looked back at him, her heart violently leaped inside of her chest.

"Those eyes," he said.

"What about them?"

He smiled. "They're your eyes…Erza."

"What are you talking about?"

He hugged her. After a moment of confusion, she hugged back. After a long, emotional embrace, they let go.

"There's…something I need to tell you, Erza," said Jellal, his smile quickly turning into a frown. The flowers below him began to turn gray again, but one petal on each flower was still a vibrant red.

She looked down, closed her eyes. "It's always business with you…"

"Something's happened."

She looked at him. "What do you mean? Is it Zeref? E.N.D? Or Acnologia?"

"Not…exactly," he said. He took a moment to compose himself. "Three days ago, my team and I went on a mission to Infernum Mountain—"

"Infernum Mountain? Are you insane?" she cried.

"I was given information that there was something up there connected to the dark wizard. So, we went up to investigate. It turns out that the information was correct…"

"What happened? Who gave you such information?"

He looked away from her, shame haunted his face. "I thought it was you."

She took a step back. "You thought it was me? I wouldn't dare tell you to—"

"I realize that now," he said.

"What happened?"

He took a deep breath. "There were seven books of Zeref up there."

"As in the books that contain the Etherious?"

"Indeed, but these weren't like those demons."

"They were set free?" she asked, shocked.

Jellal went to his knees and covered his face. "I-I thought we were doing the right thing. We went to destroy whatever dark magic was up there. We weren't expecting the demons to be so…so powerful." He paused. "Because I led the seven of us up there, they were able to escape."

She knelt down and touched his shoulder. "It was not your fault, you couldn't have known."

"It was my fault. I was tricked again…"

"Who were these demons?"

"I've never sensed anything like them. Their strength was suffocating…and I didn't recognize them, and I've done extensive research on Zeref's demons. I can tell you that one of them is called Nataliah, and she possesses some kind of illusionary curse, she used it to trick me. She made a thought projection of you so that I would take my team up there. When they were freed, she told me that they needed seven specific wizards to do so."

"The seven members of Crime Sorcière? Why?" she asked.

"She said that they needed seven wizards that have been touched by darkness, but strive for the light. It…it was our darkness that they needed."

"Jellal, look at me," Erza said sternly.

He glanced up at her.

"I said look at me."

He looked at her with such pain.

"There are plenty of dark wizards out there. It sounded like it wasn't only the darkness they sought, but the light as well. The seven of you are working to redeem yourselves, free yourselves from that darkness."

"Yes, and clearly it has a grasp on us even still."

"You're wrong…when I look at you, I don't see the dark deeds you've done. I see my dear friend, the friend I thought I had lost all of those years ago."

"None of that matters. We set those monsters free…and there is one sure way to send them back."

"What is it?" she asked.

He grabbed her hands. "You need to kill me."

Her eyes widened with surprise and horror. "What? How would that solve anything?"

He let go of her hands and stood up. "Let me show you something." He unbuttoned his robe and tossed it off.

"What are you showing me?" she asked. She turned a little red.

He didn't answer. He just silently unbuttoned his shirt and took it off as well. Erza started to turn redder. The sight of his muscular form made her all but breathless.

Then, she noticed something on his torso. There were strange, white markings on his stomach and chest that resembled the wings of a bird. Not two wings, but four. Two came downwards from his shoulder blades and connected at the middle of his chest, and two came upwards from his lower torso upwards to directly under his chest. The four wings were almost touching each other.

"What is that?" she said.

He turned around to show her his back. There was the image of a white bird of prey with four wings outstretched to his front. Its talons were opened and rested on his lower back.

Erza touched it gently, he recoiled and put his shirt back on.

"It's something similar to Body Link magic…but it's a curse. It's what binds the demons to this world. One of the demons told another not to kill us. I believe this is why. If we die, they will be sealed away once again. We tried to kill ourselves, but couldn't. Then, we guild tried to kill each other for the greater good, but we were unable. I believe the curse prevents us from taking our own lives, or the lives of each other. But…but you could do it, Erza." The flowers below him turned a darker gray.

She stomped her foot, killing some of the flowers. "I refuse to kill you!"

"Don't be selfish, Erza. This isn't about me, it's about saving this world from destruction!"

"I'm the selfish one? You're asking me to take the life of the man that I…" she paused. "I won't do it! We'll find another way, we always do."

"Please…just kill me. You didn't see them, you didn't feel the power I felt. Their collective power was stronger than anything I've felt before. Stronger than Zeref, stronger than Acnologia."

"We'll find a way to beat them, together. That's where I stand."

"But—" he couldn't finish his sentence. He saw that Erza was starting to cry.

"Please…don't ask me again. I can't lose you, Jellal. I lost you...twice already. I won't lose you again."

He closed his eyes. The petals on the flowers below him began to get a little brighter. "So, you think we can stop them?"

"I do…we can gather all of the former Fairy Tail guild that're scattered to the four corners. With the combined power of our guilds, there's nothing we couldn't handle."

He managed to grin. "Always the optimist, aren't?"

"It's something that grew on me…being a member of Fairy Tail does that to a person."

"Very well, we'll do it your way, Finding your friends will be pretty easy."

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"The rest of my guild are searching them out. They said they wanted to die by Fairy Tail's hand. Something about poetic justice or something. Something tells me that they'll get the same answer I got."

"Indeed, they will…" said a low voice.

Jellal and Erza looked around, to see where the voice came from. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the two of them were engulfed by it.


	3. Chapter 2: Gray and Juvia

**Chapter 2: Gray and Juvia**

"Thank you for taking me to this new café, my darling," said Juvia, who was glued to her beloved's arm.

"Not like we had anything better to do," Gray said, his expression looking less than pleased.

She looked up at him, with a torrent of love in her eyes. "It makes me so happy to be here with you."

He looked down at her, and his unamused frown turned into a thin smile. "I'm glad you're happy, Juvia," he looked forward again and his smile disappeared. In truth, he was glad. Juvia was the one thing in his life that kept him afloat. After Fairy Tail disbanded, his final light of happiness was the water wizard walking beside him, with her arm locked with his. Although, the dark storm of hatred still loomed over his heart. He was going to kill E.N.D one day, and nothing would stop him. Not even the final light of happiness.

Juvia looked at Gray, and her gleeful joy turned to worry. She saw the shadow of sadness over his face. She knew of his hunger for revenge. " _Oh, my darling Gray…I wish you would talk to me about what you're going through. I know you're saddened because of your father, but he wouldn't want you to obsess over this. He would want you to be happy."_

"Juvia?" Gray said.

She looked back up at him. "What is it, darling?"

"Let's have a good day," he said with a hint of a real smile.

Her eyes lit back up, and she dug her face into his arm. "I'd like nothing better."

They made it to the Coldwater Café, the new place to hang out near their village of Amefurashi, it was only one town over. Its grand opening was featured in _Sorcerer Weekly_ , and Juvia had begged Gray to take her.

They sat down at one of the tables outside on the café's deck area. The sun was shining brightly, looking at the sky that day, nobody would have ever guessed that in the not so distant future, torrential downpours would overtake the area.

Juvia looked at the menu and hummed merrily. "What're you going to get, my darling?"

Gray skimmed through the menu. "I dunno…"

Looking at the object of her desire, Juvia's imagination ran wild. In her daydream, Gray's overly-shiny eyes looked at her with boyish love. " _I can't decide what I want, Juvie. Your beauty keeps distracting me."_ He suddenly had on a tux, and she had on a beautiful white wedding gown with blue waterdrops on the hems. He got up and held out his hand. _"What do you say we get married right here, then we can work on having those thirty-three babies."_

" _Oh, I would love nothing better, my icy prince!"_ she answered.

" _Oh, Juvia…Juvia…"_

" _Oh, my beloved Gray."_

"Juvia?" Gray said.

She didn't answer, she just stared into space, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Juvia!" he yelled.

She snapped out of it. "Wh-what is it?" she said, snapping back into reality.

He pointed at the waitress with his thumb.

"What would you like, Miss?" the waitress asked. She was tall and thin, and wore a scandalous maid outfit.

" _I want you to get your skanky self away from my love!"_ she thought, her face steaming.

"Juvia, what are you having?" Gray asked.

She took a deep breath. "I'll take the green tea," she said pleasantly. "Hold the skank," she whispered.

"What was that, Miss?" the waitress asked.

"N-nothing at all. Thank you so much!"

The waitress bowed and took the menus.

"Jeez, what was _that_ about?" Gray asked.

"Nothing at all, my love. I was just going to say how lovely it is today."

He looked up at the sky. "It is a pretty nice day out, isn't it?"

Juvia's face turned red when she noticed that Gray was now in his underwear. "Darling, your clothes?"

He looked at her. "What about 'em?"

"They're not…on you anymore."

He looked down and leaped out of his seat. "Aw crap! I've been doing so good too!"

"Excuse me, sir?" said another waitress.

"What is it?" Gray said, slightly perturbed.

"We require our customers to be clothed…this isn't that kind of establishment."

"Some things never change," said a man's voice coming from somewhere up above.

Gray and Juvia both looked up and saw who it was.

"Cobra?" Gray said, shocked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Erik laughed. "Just thought I'd get a nice cup of coffee before tearing this place to the ground."

"B-but I thought you were in Jella—I mean, an independent guild," Juvia said, forgetting that Jellal and the rest of his guild were still running from the law.

"Old news, geyser gal," he said. "The band's broken up, I thought I'd do a solo tour. You're really gonna dig my song…"

"He's the Poison Dragon Slayer, isn't he? He's the one who can use someone's voice against them…" Juvia said.

"I'm really gonna tear the house down!" he said with a cackle.

"Not if I can help it!" said Gray. He got in position. _"I haven't perfected any of my Devil Slayer magic yet. I can't afford to use any of those attacks here, I might end up hurting all these people._ "Ice Make Lance!"

Several sharp lances of ice came from his hand, and shot directly at Erik. All of them pierced him. He winced and fell backwards.

"He didn't even try to dodge 'em," Gray said. "He's usually a master at dodging attacks."

Juvia looked up on the roof as Erik got back to his feet. " _Something doesn't feel right about this…"_ She thought. " _Erza told us that Cobra and the rest of the surviving members of the Oracion Seis joined Jellal's guild, and they're seeking the path of redemption. If he truly has reverted back to treachery, why would he resort to simply destroying this café? Surely a wizard as infamous as him would do something far more sinister."_

"Tch, is that the best you got?" Erik said. "Salamander's magic packed way more of a punch…not to mention Titania's You must'a been the weak link in the bunch, huh?"

"Shut up!" he yelled.

"Real scared," Erik chided. He looked at Juvia. "Maybe I'll just attack your girlfriend, she's probably a better opponent anyway."

"Don't you touch her!" Gray yelled, getting in front of Juvia.

Erik's hands started to glow a foul purple. He smiled a wickedly. "Hope you can dodge this one, girly. One touch, and you're poisoned." He jumped off the roof towards Juvia and Gray. Everyone on the deck ran for their lives.

Juvia saw Erik hesitate before he reached her and Gray. Gray kicked him right as he landed, and Erik collapsed on the table Gray and Juvia had just been sitting, it broke under his weight.

Gray made a sword out of ice and pointed it at Erik's throat.

Erik laughed. "You got me, ice boy. Go ahead, finish the job."

Gray pulled the sword back to strike him. Before he could, Juvia grabbed his arm "No, don't do it!"

Gray looked at her. "Why not?"

Juvia looked at Erik. "You're not really here to destroy the place, are you? Nor do you mean us any harm."

Erik was shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here to raise some hell and kill me some fairies who've gotten their wings clipped."

Juvia sat down beside Erik, she looked at him intently. "You hesitated to attack me, purposely letting Gray strike you. You didn't dodge his attacks, when I hear you're a master at dodging all types of attacks because you can hear them coming from a mile away."

"Don't be stupid, I didn't hesitate. And I'm just rusty when it comes to hearing my opponent's attacks. You want me to show you how serious I am?" He grabbed her by the arm. His hand became scaly and purple. His nails became long and sharp, and they dug into her arm. She screamed. "Your body may be made out of water, but my nails and my poison can penetrate even that!"

"You bastard!" Gray said.

"You may as well kill me, or I swear I'll poison your girlfriend. She'll be writhing in agony for hours before the toxins eventually kill her."

Juvia grabbed Erik by the arm. He looked at her, surprised.

She was crying. "I know you're lying…you're not really going to hurt me."

"Y-yes I am," he looked back at Gray. "Kill me or the girl dies!"

Gray lifted his sword to go for the strike.

Juvia moved herself in front of Erik. "Please, don't do it, my love!"

Gray stopped just short of Juvia's back. "Get out of the way, Juvia!"

She shook her head. Her tears dropped onto Erik's face. "I can't let you do this…"

"Just let him kill me," Erik said insistently.

She looked at him with deeply pained eyes. "Why do you want to die?"

"Shut up and move," he said. "I need to die."

"How would your loved ones feel if you died?"

"Tch, I have no loved ones…"

"Surly you do. There has to be someone what's special to you."

 _Her_ face appeared in Erik's mind, her face as a human. "Cubellios…" he muttered as he let go of Juvia's arm.

"See?" Juvia said. "I knew you had someone."

"She wouldn't miss me…and even if she did, I have to die. Everyone in Crime Sorcière has to die, because we set them free."

"Set who free?" Gray asked.

Erik looked away. "None of your concern. Please, just kill me. Believe me when I say it's for the better."

The icy sword disappeared. "I won't kill 'ya, Cobra."

Juvia got up and joined Gray.

Erik looked up at both of them and scoffed. "Why not? You too much of a coward? I'd do it myself but…I can't, I'm unable to."

"Look, it wouldn't be right to kill you, not like this. So you guys fell into some trouble, does that mean you gotta die because of it? Why don't you tell us what's going on? We might be able to help 'ya."

" _You're so wise and caring, Gray!"_ Juvia thought and began to swoon.

"This thing is way bigger than anyone can handle."

Gray held his hand out. "We'll figure something out, man. Come on."

Erik looked warily at his hand. "But, what if we can't?"

"Don't worry…we'll beat this thing."

"Trust us, we can beat whatever it is if we give it our all." Juvia said.

"How can you be so sure? You weren't there when they got out. All I heard was death and destruction with them."

"Something I learned being a wizard in Fairy Tail…never give up, even when things seem hopeless," said Gray.

"It's what I learned as well. Fairy Tail was the saving light that brought me out of dark despair," Juvia said.

"But Fairy Tail's broken up," Erik pointed out.

"But the lessons it taught are still in here," Gray said, pointing to his heart.

Erik sighed. His scaly hands returned to normal, his nailed dulled. "I think you guys are crazy…" he thought back to his one friend, and her beautiful face. "But I'll give you a chance. I'll tell you what happened, I could at least give you that much." He grabbed Gray's hand, and Gray pulled him up.

The people around them began to glance over from their various hiding places.

"We're…uh…gonna turn this guy in for tying to cause trouble. Don't worry, everyone. It's all over!" Gray said. Everyone seemed to buy it.

The three of them reached Gray and Juvia's house. Once inside, Juvia fixed some tea.

Gray and Erik were sitting on chairs opposite each other at the table.

"So, who are these demons you're talking about?" asked Gray.

Erik squirmed in his chair. "All I know is that they were more powerful than anything I've ever felt. Their power was crippling. They didn't even have to move an inch to knock us all down. There were seven of them, and they each came out of their own book."

"Like the Etherious demons of Zeref?"

"Sorta, but their power is on a whole other level than Tartaros…and we set them free."

"What's their goal?" Juvia asked, putting two cups of tea on the table.

"I don't know, exactly, but between the excruciatingly loud screams in their heads…I heard one of them think ' _it's time to kill the Virtues. The time of the Vices has come.'"_

"Virtues and Vices? Sounds like some backwards sermon or somethin'," said Gray.

Juvia grabbed her own cup of tea and sat at the table. "But why would you wish to kill yourself? It's not like you set these monsters free on purpose. I don't understand."

"She has a point," Gray said. "It doesn't make sense…shouldn't you guys be working to fix the problem instead of trying to end it all?"

Erik stared at his tea. "That will fix the problem. I don't want to die out of shame or anything like that…it's just the only way we could think of to send the monsters back to where they came from."

Juvia slammed her teacup down. "How would your deaths solve anything?" she said with conviction in her voice.

"I'll show you," he answered. He stood up, unbuttoned his shirt, and opened it up.

Gray and Juvia looked at the strange, green markings on his torso.

"It looks like…a snake," said Gray.

The serpentine image coiled around his body, from his lower left abdomen to his right shoulder. He took his shirt off and showed them his back. The serpent's head rested on his right shoulder blade. Its mouth was opened wide, bearing a pair of sharp fangs.

Juvia put her hand to her mouth and gasped. "It looks like a…body link of some kind."

Erik put his shirt back on. "It is body link, but it's much more complicated than any body link magic we've ever heard of."

"Even if it _is_ body link magic, what makes you think that killing yourselves would guarantee the demons' return to their books? That sounds like a pretty big gamble," said Gray.

"While the rest of us were passed out, Jellal said that one of the demons told another not to kill us. Then, we noticed that all seven of us had gotten these markings, markings that happened to match the symbols on each of the books. Apparently, they needed seven specific wizards to set them free…wizards that have been touched by darkness but seek the light. Jellal speculated that they needed the seven of us to perform a body link with to keep themselves in their demon forms. So, if we die, they return to their books. But we were unable to kill ourselves or each other. That's why we sought you guys out. We thought it would be an appropriate way to go, getting offed by one of Fairy Tail's past members, after all we've done to you."

"So, you're not the only one who sought us out?" Juvia asked.

Erik shook his head. "The others have scattered to search for other members of the disbanded guild. Not to hurt them, but to be killed by them," he smirked. "I don't know who the others sought out…but I'll bet you can guess who Jellal's looking for."

"Erza won't kill him," Gray said. "She loves the man, she would never do such a thing."

"And the rest of Fairy Tail won't kill the others…not now. Most of them know that you're in Jellal's guild," Juvia said. She smiled warmly at Erik. "And if your guildmates are as bad at acting as you are, they'll know something's up."

"Sorry I caused you so much trouble and…whatever."

"Don't mention it," Gray said. "I've actually been hopin' for some excitement."

Juvia stared into space. _"Oh, once again we'll be fighting against evil, side-by-side. Oh, Gray, my darling! I'll be at your side the whole time!"_ She went to lean onto him, but she toppled over onto the floor. Gray had gotten up to look out the window. "I'm okay," she said.

"Someone…or something is out there," Gray said.

"Who is it?" Juvia asked as she got off the floor.

"I can't see them, but I can feel them. Can't you guys?"

"I can," Erik said, getting out of his seat.

"Whoever it is, we can handle them," Juvia said.

Suddenly, their entire house was engulphed in a brilliant white light. There were three screams, then silence. When the light subsided, the house was empty.


	4. Chapter 3: Wendy and Carla

**Chapter 3: Wendy and Carla**

"Come on, let's go Wendy!" Sherria called out to her partner. "We gotta get to the guild, we've got work to do!"

"I-I'm coming…" Wendy said, her face redder than the scales of a fire dragon. "But do we have to wear these outfits?"

"I second that," Carla said, hiding behind Wendy. "I would rather wear the ridiculous black unitards that those idiots made you wear."

"Aw, I think they're cute! I picked 'em out myself. I did it out of… _love."_

The three of them were wearing hot pink tutus with yellow hearts patched all over them.

"And I appreciate the thought, but maybe we should try more…plain outfits."

"Why would we do that?" Sherria asked with a giant grin. "We're not plain, are we? We're the Sky Sisters."

"But why do I have to wear this outfit, too?" Carla asked.

Sherria giggled. "Because you're our adorable sidekick."

"I'll show you adorable, just come here!"

"Carla, calm down…it isn't that bad."

"I am calm, hmph…" Carla turned her nose up.

They made their way from their house to the Lamia Scale guild's building.

"What kind of job do you wanna do today, Wendy?" asked Sherria as they walked up the guild's steps.

"I don't know, how about an easy one today? Let's see if the flower delivery one is still on the board."

"But that sounds like a boring one, and it only offers, like 5,000J."

"I know, I just wanna take it easy today, I'm still recuperating from the past three jobs we've done."

"Fiiiine," Shrria said, immaturely.

As they walked in, they noticed that most of the members weren't there, and the door to the guild was shut.

"What d'ya think's going on in there?" Sherria asked.

"I don't know, but I can hear people talking in there…but it's hard to make out. Someone must have cast an anti-overhear spell."

"Let's sneak in."

"They must have a reason for speaking in private, so we should not interfere," Carla said.

"Don't you wanna know? I'm dying to find out," Sherria said.

"I…I don't know," Wendy said. "Maybe we should—" before she could finish her sentence, Sherria had already broken the sealing spell that was on the windows.

She looked at Wendy and grinned. "They really need to think up more complicated spells to keep people out, you know?"

"B-but Sherria, I don't think—"

Sharria grabbed Wendy's arm and skipped back to the window. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Hey, don't leave me out here!" Carla yelled.

Sherria put her finger on her lip. "Shh!"

Carla rolled her eyes. "I swear…it's like I'm babysitting a duo of toddlers," she said as she followed Sherria and Wendy through the window.

The three of them hid behind a pillar and peered into the center of the guild's lobby area. Sherry, Lyon, Toby, Yuka and Master Ooba were talking about something.

"What did the message say, Master?" Lyon asked. "If Jura sent it as urgent, it has to be something utterly terrifying."

Sherry held her hands together as if she were praying. "This can't be good. First, all of those strange earthquakes near Infernum Mountain, then the sudden increase in crime…now rumors of more of Zeref's demons and this urgent message from Jura and the rest of the saints? I'm so worried about my Renny-poo."

"There are bigger concerns than your boytoy Sherry," Yuka said.

"I do not need a new toy! I have plenty in my room!" Toby screeched.

"That's not what we're talking about…"

"Shut up before I spin every last one of 'ya!" Master Ooba threatened. "Now, I'll replay the message for you, but this does not leave this room, you got it?"

The four of them agreed.

Master Ooba held the card out, and a miniature projection of Jura appeared over it. _"Greetings, my friends…I truly wish this was a happy message. However, we haven't the time for such niceties. The council has picked up on something big, very big. We have picked up extremely powerful magic wavelengths that is reminiscent of Zeref and Acnologia."_

"I wonder if they're active again…" Lyon said.

" _If you're asking if these wavelengths are from Zeref or Acnologia, the answer is no,"_ said the projection.

"Then, what could it be?" Sherry asked.

" _I bet you're wondering what these wavelengths could me…and the answer is that we aren't sure. That's what has us worried. There are seven distinct wavelengths…magical wavelengths that almost goes into curse territory. These wavelengths are immensely powerful, but hard to track, because they pop up one second, and are gone the next. We are putting the Custody Enforcement Unit on point, and are hoping that they will resolve the issue—"_

" _Custody Enforcement Unit?"_ Wendy thought with worry. " _That means Gajeel and Levy will be thrown into unknown danger!"_

Jura continued. " _However, if the need arises…I ask that you lend a hand. This is a lot to ask, but I trust that my comrades of Lamia Scale will stand to arms, should the time come. We of the council…the wizard saints…we may only enter the fray if absolutely needed. I really hope we are being paranoid, and these blips on our radar are merely static or something. If not, then you may have to prepare for battle. Hoping all is well, your friend, Jura."_ With that, the projection vanished.

Sherria, Wendy and Carla snuck back out of the window.

"What're we gonna do, now?" Sherria asked.

Wendy started to tear up. "What if…what if this really is something super powerful, as powerful as Zeref or Acnologia? Gajeel and Levy'll be in trouble."

"Don't worry yourself into a frenzy, child!" Carla said. "Gajeel and Levy are both very capable wizards, and there may not be any danger at all."

"Then let's go find out!" Sherria said.

Wendy looked at her, still teary-eyed. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah, let's go find them and see how their doing!"

"You think we should?"

"Well, yeah. They're your former guildmates, and those bonds never die. So, let's go check up on 'em."

"Thanks, Sherria. You're a true friend."

"If we're going to do this, we must exercise caution," Carla warned. "And do we even know where they're going to be?"

"Sherry said something about Infernum Mountain, maybe we should try there, first?" Wendy said.

"Sounds like fun!" Sherria exclaimed. "That place has a spooky vibe about it, and some say that it's a prison for demons."

Carla put her foot down. "Then we should avoid such a place. I don't know if this is such a good idea."

"We'll be fine, we're the Sky Sisters."

Carla sighed. "Fine. But the second things start to go crazy, we're out of there!"

Sherria and Wendy nodded.

They headed toward the vile mountain. The path to that dark mountain of the damned started beyond Margaret Town, in the lovely Lumaria Forest, the forest with glowing, white leaves. The scenic beauty of the forest gave such a sense of calm, but that sense of calm masked the true feeling of dread that Carla had. Such a bad feeling…a feeling that reminded her of the ferocious battle between Fairy Tail and Tartaros.

The trio of wizards stopped in an open field within the confines of the forest. There was a slow-flowing brook in the middle of the field. Wendy and Sherria marveled at the beauty of the field surrounded by beautiful white-leaved trees.

They ran to the brook and leaped into the water, it seemed that they didn't have a care in the world.

"Don't forget that we're on a mission!" Carla said. "You two were the ones who wanted to find Gajeel and Levy, and now you're splashing around like a bunch of children. We need to get a move on, Infernum Mountain is a three-day journey if we're lucky."

"Sorry, Carla…" said Wendy, who was embarrassed at her childish actions.

"Yeah, me too. This place is just too cool," Sherria said.

Carla smiled a little bit, but not enough for the girl's to notice. "I suppose it was okay to have a little bit of fun…but we need to get a move on."

Wendy and Sherria started to get out of the water, but they stopped in their tracks. Both of them grabbed their chests and started to cry.

"Wh-what's this feeling?" Wendy said. "It's terrible!"

"It feels like the light of the world suddenly vanished…and all that's left is darkness," Sherria cried.

Carla flied over to them. "What's happened to—" she felt it, too. It was a terrible feeling…an inner darkness that wanted desperately to burst out. "What is the meaning of this?"

Wendy looked at her hand. "What's this think on me? It's some kind of symbol."

Sherria looked at her hand, too. "I've got the same symbol."

"Me, too," said Carla.

The symbol on their hands was a pink heart with a circle around it.

"I'm sorry…" said a female's voice.

The girls looked around.

"Who's there?" Carla yelled. "Show yourself at once!"

A young woman walked toward them.

"M-Meredy?" said Wendy.

"Hello, Wendy…"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because, I wanted to show you how I feel…and now that you know," she snapped her fingers, and the sensory-link magic broke. Wendy, Sherria and Carla fell on the ground in relief.

"Why do you feel…like that?" Wendy asked.

"I'll show you, but prepare yourselves." Meredy lifted up her robe to reveal her right leg. Her outer leg and thigh had red lines that seemed to form an image of some kind.

"It looks like…a piggy," Sherria said.

The pig was facing Meredy's torso, its fat body practically covered her whole leg.

Carla looked at it more closely. "Is that…Body Link magic?"

"Or something very similar. Whatever it is, it's very powerful…and what it's linked to is even more so," Meredy said, covering her leg.

"What's it linked to?" Wendy asked.

"A demon. A very powerful demon. One of seven."

"S-seven?" Carla repeated, thinking back to Jura's message.

"Yes…I, along with the rest of Crime Sorcière, accidently freed seven demons, each coming from a lost book of Zeref…and each of us has been linked to one of them."

"How did this happen?" Carla asked.

Meredy looked at the brook, but was not comforted by its gentle flow. "We were tricked into entering a dark sanctum at the top of Infernum Mountain. Our presence freed these demons…apparently the seven of us were the key. They needed seven wizards who've been touched by darkness, but who seek redemption from it."

"What a strange requirement," said Sherria. "I wonder why…"

"Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. We set them free…and we've set out to stop them."

"Can we do something to help?" Wendy asked.

Meredy took a deep breath. "The others seem to think death is the only way."

Carla took a step back. "D-death? You mean to die? What will that accomplish?"

"It would sever the bond, sending those demons back into their hellish tomes,"

"There has to be another way, death can't be the solution…" Wendy said.

"Well, apparently death has become somewhat of an impossibility," Meredy said. "At least by our own hands."

"You don't mean to tell me that…you want us to kill you?"

"That's what the others are seeking. They're seeking out the other members of the former Fairy Tail guild to do the job. They thought it rather poetic, I guess, after everything we put you guys through in the past."

"What about you?" Carla asked. "What are you seeking?"

"I don't seek death. I know Ultear wouldn't have wanted me to consider such a thing. Even as I tried to kill myself and the others, I wept because I knew it wasn't what she would want for me…for us."

"What's your plan, then?" Wendy asked.

"You and Sherria have some serious Wind magic of the cleansing variety between the two of you, correct?"

The two girls nodded.

"I was thinking that you two could try to remove the Body Link. I figured that it's an impurity, a very powerful one. And between the two of you, you could remove the impurity."

"We could give it a try," Wendy said.

"And what of your guildmates?" Carla said. "Did you not tell them of this plan?"

"They wouldn't have listened. They seem set on dying to save the world from these monsters, they think that death is also the only way they can pay for setting them free. But, don't worry…I know it wouldn't be the Fairy Tail way to take the life of someone who seeks redemption. So, no matter how the others beg for death, they'll all get the same answer."

Sherria and Wendy stepped towards Meredy.

"You ready?" Sherria asked Wendy.

Wendy nodded, and they held each other's hands.

A cleansing burst of Sky magic surrounded the field. White and black wind whipped and blew across the forest. Wendy and Sherria touched Meredy's leg.

Both girls began to chant. "Oh great Wind of healing, we call upon you to descend from heaven and cleanse this vessel of the impure!" The white and black waves of wind began to fuse together, combining the two Sky magics into one.

Carla stared in amazement. " _A healing unison raid? I didn't know such a thing was possible!"_

A radiant glow began to surround Wendy, Sherria and Meredy, and Meredy's leg began to glow a fabulous white.

"I think it's working!" Meredy said.

The red pig symbol on her leg also began to glow, a fowl, angry glow. It started to burn Meredy with an extreme heat.

Wendy and Sherria were blasted several feet back, and the heavenly glow quickly vanish, and the healing winds stopped blowing.

Wendy and Sherria struggled to get up, and Meredy clasped onto her leg which was in searing pain.

A voice echoed from within the forest. "That will not break the bond…" It was a soft, gentle voice.

A figure walked out of the woods, where Wendy, Carla and Sherria had come from. It was a young woman. Her face was pale and young. Her eyes were a deep blue. She wore a silver tiara with a sapphire in the middle. Her long, blue hair was up in a bun that was held up with silver hair sticks. She was wearing a white kimono robe with dark-blue hems. She carried a staff that was almost as tall as she was. The staff had a deep blue sapphire at the top of it, held in place by wooden carvings of large, angelic wings.

Meredy looked at her, fearful. _"Is she one of the demons?"_ The fear soon turned into some…unexplainable peace. " _No, I sense no darkness coming from her."_

The young woman stopped just at the brook. "I'm afraid even purifying Wind magic powerful enough to resurrect the dead won't be enough to break that Body Link…oh maidens of the sky."

Meredy's head dropped in severed disappointment. "Then…what will."

The young woman smiled. "Worry not, one who has been plagued by Vice. There is a way… that does not require death."

Meredy looked at her and smiled. "Really? What is it? I'll do anything to free my friends and myself."

The young woman looked down and frowned, sadly. "Although death is not required…it may still come for you."

"We'll take the chances…please, tell me!"

The young woman waved her hand over the sapphire at the top of your staff. "Very well, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. For now, three of you must come with me."

The sapphire began to glow bright.

"But there are four of us," Sherria said.

There was a bright flash of light, and Sherria found herself standing alone in the meadow, unsure of what had just transpired.


	5. Chapter 4:Levy, Gajeel and Panther Lilly

**Chapter 4: Gajeel, Levy and Panther Lily**

"Why did the council send us here, again?" Levy asked as she and Gajeel trekked up the jagged paths of Infernum Mountain.

"Hell if I know…" Gajeel replied with indifference. "All they said is there's been a bunch of earthquakes and surges of dark magic around here."

"B-but why did they make us go up by ourselves?" she drew closer to him.

He glanced over at her and smirked. "What's wrong, half-pint? You scared?"

She blushed. "No…of course not! It's just…you know…if there is something up here, won't we need backup or something?"

"Nah, we can take 'em, no matter who they are!"

She sighed. "I'm glad you're so confident."

Gajeel looked behind him. "Hurry up, cat, or you're gonna get left behind!"

Lily was trailing several yards behind them. His gait was slow and cautious. _"Do they not sense this crazy power? Why are they so eager to go toward it?"_ He closed his eyes and smiled. " _Right…let's not forget who I'm talking about. Gajeel would jump headfirst into a den of Zeref's demons with hardly a thought. And Levy would follow Gajeel to the ends of the earth."_ He picked up his pace.

"The higher up we walk, the creepier it gets," said Levy. She looked up at the sky. "The sky's getting darker, but it's noon, and there aren't any clouds…just like all of the literature I've read about this place claims."

Gajeel glanced at her with a mild hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Yeah? What else did'ja read?"

"I've read at least a dozen books about this place, but there weren't too many consistencies. The only three things all the books agreed on was the eerie dark sky, the flux of dark magic and something about a great disaster that happened here a long time ago."

"Then what good's all that readin' for?"

Levy stomped her foot. "Reading is plenty useful! Take the disaster for example…apparently Infernum Mountain used to be a fertile mountainous region with dozens of one-of-a-kind plants and fantastical animals at its base. But a great cataclysm occurred that desolated the land and killed all inhabitants around the mountain. None of the source material said what the cataclysm was, only that it had to do with the dark wizard, Zeref."

"Zeref, huh?" Gajeel said with contempt in his voice. "Well, I hope we get to see the bastard. We owe him more than a beatdown for the whole Tartaros thing."

" _He actually wants us to run into that creep?"_ Levy thought. " _He can be so stupid sometimes…"_ she looked up at him and smiled. " _Stupid, but brave._

Lilly's ears were twitching. "Do you two not notice that?"

"Notice what?" asked Gajeel.

"There seems to be an increase in pressure as we make our climb."

"That happens when you climb a mountain, Lilly," Levy said.

"Not like this, it doesn't. Take a moment to sense your surroundings. Something's very wrong here."

They stopped walking.

"You know?" Lavy said. "He's right…something feels off."

Gajeel sniffed the air. "Now that you mention it…I do smell something. Something wrong…something evil. It reminds me of those demons from Tartaros."

A voice echoed around them. It was a woman's voice. "Demons? Oh, no, dear—"

The three of them looked up on a ledge about twenty feet above them. A fair-skinned woman in a robe was standing right at the edge. Her white hair blew in the dry wind. She smiled mischievously.

"Not demons. Do not be deceived, for you are in the presence of a queen among the angels," said the woman.

"Angel—er, Sorano?" Levy said. "What are you doing here?"

"It doesn't matter," Gajeel said with a wide grin. "This chick is wanted by the council, it's our responsibility to take her in…then we can ask her where all her friends are."

"B-but Gajeel…they're in Crime Sorcière. They've been taking out the dark guilds. Erza said they've changed, that they're good guys."

"I don't give a crap. It's our job to bring them in."

Sorano giggled. "I won't be going anywhere with the likes of you, brute. You'll have to kill me."

"Nah," Gajeel said. "I just gotta knock you out."

"What a boorish lout you are, threatening to hit a lady…and not just any lady, the lady of the host of Heaven," Sorano said. She looked at Levy. "How can you be in the presence of such gutter-born filth?"

"Take that back!" Levy said.

Sorano put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my. Did I strike a nerve? What are you going to do about it?"

"Something doesn't feel right here," said Lilly.

"Yeah, yeah…you said that already cat."

Sorano looked at Panther Lilly and frowned. "So you're an Exceed? From what I've been told, you were seen as angels in Edolas, correct?"

"Yes, but it was a guise to protect us from the cruelty of humans."

"How could the people of Edolas be so deceived? Angels have much more grace and beauty. Please, allow me to show you." Sorano closed her eyes, and her hands began to glow.

"She's about to attack!" Lilly said.

Levy began to write in the air with her finger. "Solid Script— _Gust!"_ The word _GUST,_ made out of a powerful gale-force wind flew out of a flash of light at the edge of her finger.

Sorano didn't budge. She was hit full-force and fell over.

"Why didn't she dodge it?" Levy asked.

Sorano got up, her robe had a few rips on them, and the hood was completely torn. She jumped off of the ledge and landed gracefully ten feet away from the trio. "Is that the best you've got? How disappointing…looks like I'm gonna have to take you out." She closed her eyes again, and her hands began to glow. Several golden coins materialized in her hands.

"She uses Angel magic…" Levy said.

"What the hell's that?" Gajeel asked.

"She casts some of her life away to summon angelic beings. It's similar to Celestial magic.

"Very good, bookworm," Sorano said. "You're about to witness an angel of extreme power." She threw the coins in the air, six of them fell around her. The coins emitted a ray of light that connected to each other, forming a magic circle in the shape of a six-pointed star. Six more coins hovered above her, and a magic circle formed in the same exact shape. "At the cost of one-hundred-twenty—"

"A hundred-twenty? Gray said that she only went up to a hundred, and the being she summoned almost devoured her!" Levy cried.

"Come to me, angel of Heaven's light… _Uriel!"_

"We need to stop her!"

Gajeel lunged toward her. "Iron Dragon Club!" he yelled. His hand turned into a bludgeoning club and he hit her with it.

Sorano crashed into a wall of stone.

Gajeel walked toward her. She struggled to get up.

"You're under arrest, crone."

Sorano laughed. "It's going to take more than that to defeat me. Like I said, you're going to have to kill me." She threw more coins in the air. "At the cost of thirty…come to me, _Baraqiel!"_ The coins vanished, and a dark-purple light seemed to penetrate her body. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Her body was shaking in pain.

Gajeel stared at her with shock and confusion. "What the hell's going on with you?"

Sorano looked up and began to weep. "Please, just kill me."

Levy and Lilly joined Gajeel.

"Why do you want us to kill you?" Levy asked.

"That's how to get rid of the curse…" she said.

"What curse would that be?" Lilly asked.

Sorano stumbled to her feet, and took her outer robe off, showing her stomach. There was a purple pattern on her abdomen. It was shaped like a fish with a flowing tail. "This curse…"

Levy looked closely at the mark. "Hmm…it looks like Body-Link magic. But, it's not like any body link I've ever seen."

"It's the result of a demon," Sorano said. Her head hanged low. "Some angel I am…to be sealed by a devil. I'm not the only one. The other six have been marked as well, buy six other demons."

"Are they Zeref's?" Gajeel asked.

"Sort of. They have similar energy, but not exactly the same. Now's not the time to ask questions…kill me. I have been tainted. I can't even use my magic anymore."

"Has the body link bound your magic?" Levy asked.

"Yes, but I'm the only one this has happened to," she said.

"I wonder why," Lilly said, pondering.

"It's because Angel magic is light magic, and the girl's body has been tainted," another voice echoed. It was a man's voice, strong and harsh.

A man in a white robe approached them.

"Who the hell are you?" Gajeel asked.

The man had a white mask that covered the top half of his face. "Hmm, hell has nothing to do with me, dragon slayer. I hail from a far higher realm."

Sorano fell to her knees again. "Are you an angel?"

The mysterious man shook his head. "No, I am not an angel…nor am I a child of man."

"Are you some kind of spirit?" Levy asked with fascination.

"Not exactly…let's just say that I have a special connection to your previous guild, Levy McGarden, Gajeel Redfox and Exceed Panther Lilly."

"Did you know Master Mavis?"

"All will be explained in time…for now we must go."

"Go where?" Gajeel said. "We gotta take this crazy broad in, we don't have time for you…now scram, Fancy Pants!"

"Hmph," the strange man grunted. "You will come with me, willingly or not. Trust me, this is in your best interest," he looked at Sorano. "Especially you, if you want to be freed from your curse."

"You can undo this?" Sorano asked.

"I can't," he said. "But there is a way. You and your guild can be free from your body links, and you can restore your Angel magic."

"I'll be able to call on my lovely angels again?"

"Yes…and they'll be uncorrupted as well."

"What do you mean, uncorrupted?"

"When you were in the dark guild…when you used Angel magic, the angels you summoned were incomplete and twisted. This is because you were swayed by evil. What's wrong with you now is much worse. Now, an evil so complete has marked you that no angel will come to your aid, incomplete or otherwise."

"So…I'm more evil than I was before?" Sorano said with despair.

"That's not what I said. You've been marked by evil. That mark is what keeps you from calling them, not how evil you are."

"What are we to do to get rid of it?"

"I'll explain later. For now, we must get out of this corrupted place." The man in the white robe snapped his finger, and the five of them vanished in a flash of light.


End file.
